Droid DNA by HTC

The Droid DNA by HTC raises the bar for Android smartphones. That could well be marketing-speak for HTC, which could use a big win, or Verizon Wireless, which will exclusively begin selling the DNA Nov. 21, but it turns out to be true. The DNA is the first smartphone with a true 1080p high-definition super LCD 3 display. The display is 5 inches on the diagonal, packs 440 pixels into each inch and is undisputedly gorgeous. It's also the first smartphone to pair Verizon's Long Term Evolution (LTE) 4G network with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM, and the first Android phone in the United States to offer wireless charging. Through its partnership with Beats Audio, which hasn't always been impressive, HTC gave the DNA a strong audio experience—there are two amplifiers in the phone—and HTC also lavished care on the cameras, which are both excellent. Both the front and back can shoot video in 1080p HD. Equally compelling is the DNA's size. While 5 inches of display real estate will sound off-putting to some, the phone is significantly more manageable in the hand than the Galaxy S III, with its 4.8-inch display. Pick one up before you judge.